Moving out for the first time is the best feeling in the world. Apart from the crying when your parents first leave you in your tiny university jail cell bedroom, it’s the best feeling in the world. After the initial shock of, ‘oh shit, what do I do now?’ you remember you can buy whatever crappy food you like, be as loud as you want and NEVER have to clean if you can’t be bothered. It’s that new found independence that has you smiling from ear to ear, especially when you check your bank balance and your mum has just deposited that £50 a month she’s giving you ‘to get you on your feet’.
There’s no shame in it, 85% of us are getting by off hand-outs from our parents the first time we move out (and maybe four years later) but how much are we squeezing out of their credit cards when we up and decide it’s time to go to University, rent our first flat or (and this is really adulty) buy our first home?
According to Nationwide Savings, we’re milking an average of £2,500 just for a start. The price break down goes as follows, £1,114 for the University essentials, £631 to set up your first flat and £825 once you buy a home. As someone who moved five hours away from home and refused to take anything less than a van load of crap to my new uni halls (genuinely, my mum rented a van) I’m still shocked by £1114- are these parents buying fine china for their kids to eat their Super Noodles out of? What happened to Tesco value pots and pans?
The monthly up-keep after that is less surprising, with 23% of parents maintaining their kid’s new lifestyles at an average of £44. As a student, £44 would suffice as my entire monthly food budget. As a real life adult renting in London, £44 will maybe cover my lunch for two weeks when I accidently eat the second portion of dinner I made the night before (every single night).
But don’t feel too guilty, 56% of parents fund this spending from savings (what else are you saving for if not the miracle you brought into this world mum?). Although if your parents are of the 6% whipping out their credit card for your poached egg and avocado on toast habit, you may want to consider going back to beans on toast…
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.